Opinions on Raising/Lowering action

LilRay · #1 05-02-2008, 12:01 PM

Do you prefer a low or high action on your bass?

Please explain.

Another Question; How does one know when you need a higher action vs lower? ie; choosing which is best for you.

Thanks R.

sevenyearsdown · #2 05-02-2008, 12:05 PM

I set my action as low as I can get it before any fret buzz starts.

CapnSev · #3 05-02-2008, 12:06 PM

I am lazy and try to have a soft touch - So, down you go action.

LilRay · #4 05-02-2008, 12:11 PM

Would there be any benifit to raising action? I wouldn't mind fretting harder if you get less noise, or other benifits. Which is better for recording?

LightGroove · #5 05-02-2008, 12:12 PM

I prefer it really low but generally play with a really light touch. I always like the occasional fast "jazz" run as I like to call it. For me higher action has always limited my playing. It is more of an issue for me in the upper frets where you really have to work to get any kind of run whatsoever. It has always felt like a workout to put it in general terms.

If your a grinder or slapper however the lower setting wont work as you'll either get a nice donk or lots of fret buzz. It has is an issue if you play with a heavy hand or a pick.

As far as how you know when one it right for you..

Well start with a great setup (ie. take it to a pro)

Have him/her adjust it to say a factory setting, then higher, then lower. See which suits the style and or comfort level for you.

I don't personally think one is better then the other.Its very similar to purchasing an instrument. Find the one that gets that mojo a working and get on with it.

Frankjohnson · #6 05-02-2008, 12:15 PM

My opinion is that you need "some" height to get a certain sound. Lower action, lighter strings, more replaxed strings - they all equal great playability in most cases.

There is some trade off - sound/tone for action/feel.

find a happy medium I guess.

Fealach · #7 05-02-2008, 12:30 PM

I like the action as low as possible. I even like a little buzz, but it has to even across all strings and positions.

Higher action can get you less fret noise, but you'll have to work harder or you'll get worse noise.

On the other hand, when I got an electric upright I found that I wanted the action as high as I could have it and still play. I love the buzzy sound my fretless bass guitar has with its super low action, but I don't want my upright to sound like that.

GabeN · #8 05-02-2008, 12:35 PM

I generally stagger the action height. The low strings get a medium high action because my aggressive slapping technique sounds better on a high action and the higher strings get a low action, but not super duper low. I like being able to do hammer-ons and pulloffs on the high strings.

jmcgliss · #9 05-02-2008, 12:38 PM

+1 on starting with a pro setup if the bass is new to you. I work on my own basses but if the nut slots are too high or their is a tilt to the neck, changing the action alone won't yield the best playability.

megadan · #10 05-02-2008, 12:51 PM

I'm sort of stuck in the middle - I prefer a high action for the right hand, but a low action for the left hand.

I'm usually happy with the lowest action I can get without buzz, then bringing it up just a hair.

JTE · #11 05-02-2008, 12:58 PM

Quite a few session players have rather high action according to a bunch of interviews I've read over the decades. A higher action allows for a wider dynamic range as you can hit the strings harder and they won't buzz or rattle. And it sounds different getting the volume by making the string move more versus just turning up the volume somewhere electrically.

Mine is on the low side of medium however...

jte

mjolnir · #12 05-02-2008, 12:59 PM

My playing style goes all over the place from really light melodic jazz stuff higher up to straight up rock n' roll fingerstyle to Marcus Miller-esque slap (though I have a much heavier hand than him) so I'm stuck having to keep mine in the medium range leaning a little more on the high side.

scottbass · #13 05-02-2008, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTE

Quite a few session players have rather high action according to a bunch of interviews I've read over the decades. A higher action allows for a wider dynamic range as you can hit the strings harder and they won't buzz or rattle. And it sounds different getting the volume by making the string move more versus just turning up the volume somewhere electrically.

This is exactly my experience. I used to play with relatively low action. As I get older and more discriminating (but not necessarily wiser

) I have raised it up a little in order to get a better range of dynamics. I just did a setup on my P bass, and my action is only .002" - .003" lower than the "recommended" setup on the Fender website.

CrashClint · #14 05-02-2008, 01:07 PM

My Roscoe is my main bass and it has really low action, I play finger style pretty much with the tips of my fingers. At times I really dig in, I do not mind the little bit of buzz I get. As for my fretting hand the lower actions allows me to have more speed when I need it. Being set low it also allows itself to produce some really nice slap tone.

I keep the action on my Jazz just a little higher to get more of the old school funk.

tbone0813 · #15 05-02-2008, 01:11 PM

Definitely lower. By doing so though I really can't do any popping because of the fret buzz I get (which I don't do much of anyway).

Petethebassman · #16 05-02-2008, 01:21 PM

I set my bass with fairly low action, but I play fingerstyle with a light touch. And no buzzes, either - I have TI flats on it.

LilRay · #17 05-02-2008, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTE

Quite a few session players have rather high action according to a bunch of interviews I've read over the decades. A higher action allows for a wider dynamic range as you can hit the strings harder and they won't buzz or rattle. And it sounds different getting the volume by making the string move more versus just turning up the volume somewhere electrically.

Mine is on the low side of medium however...

jte

This is what I was referring to as far as recording. So with this info I'd say higher action would be better for recording.

Thanks R.

Vanceman · #18 05-02-2008, 02:16 PM

I used to like really low action, and just accepted the occasional clack, but when I tried a friend's bass that was just professionally set up, I was suprised how high the action was. Turns out, I like the springy feel and clean sound of higher action, plus better dynamics. As long as I keep my endurance up, 4-5 hours of playing is easy now.

LilRay · #19 05-02-2008, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanceman

I used to like really low action, and just accepted the occasional clack, but when I tried a friend's bass that was just professionally set up, I was suprised how high the action was. Turns out, I like the springy feel and clean sound of higher action, plus better dynamics. As long as I keep my endurance up, 4-5 hours of playing is easy now.

If I can get a cleaner sound like you describe, then I'm going to give higher action a try. My basses were all professionally setup by a highly respected luthier in my area. I may just have him raise the action to see if that improves my tone/ attack when recording especially. I play music that is based on feel and I believe when I'm "on" or into it I tend to play with a much heavier attack than when I'm listening to or learning something new. Bottom line I'll say my technique needs work, but for now I'm going to try higher action and see if that helps.

Thanks Guys R .

Solarmist · #20 05-03-2008, 02:56 AM

I set mine a little higher than factory specs. I'm also tuned to C G C F which requires it to be higher. Neck relief, string tension, strings type [rounds/flats], and playing style are all contributing factors. I set them so I can play reasonably hard without too much fret buzz especially on G & D where it's more noticeable.